The Journal of a Vagabond Songstress – Entry 1
Entry One:
“Be good, Minnow.” was the last thing my mother said to me as I gracelessly skittered out the door and down the foothill towards town. An odd pet name for a young Lamia, to be sure, but now as my very understanding of the world has been pulled out from beneath me it seems to fit quite somberly. I’ve been dropped in over my head, and like a baby minnow swimming upstream, I hope my will to survive is stronger than the current I must resist. Also like a minnow, my wide eyes take up a disproportionally large part of my head. You’ve raised me well, Mother. Surely I will be good. The question is will good be good to me?
“I’ll be fine,” I keep saying to myself, “A Hsien girl can’t be put to rest so easily.” I believe as such, even if it is in folly. I need to believe I can make a difference, because without hope I would simply coil up and die. A glimmer of hope fills the heart with song, and as long as there is music within me I will follow the rhythm and carry on. I’m not a hero by any name. I’m not strong, brave or smart, but I will not sit idle as innocents in need are hurt right in front of my very eyes. Did that sound cool? If I’m going to be fighting for justice I’ll be cheesing it up as best I can. This may be my only chance to live out my heroic fantasies, rather than doing such vicariously through story and song. Heroism is seven tenths acting cool and attractive, right? If anyone can make a fool of themselves while exuding confidence, its me! Alas, pride is said to come before the fall, but I’m ever so used to falling. None fall better than Shai-Hsien! Is my pride ill-placed? Am I singing my own siren-song? History will tell the story. Let’s just all hope I’m the one telling history.
And what an interestingly twisted history it will be to tell! The cause of my kind’s strife is a seemingly a single entity; the Snake general. He is also nearly the sole owner of the Lamia slaves. It seems all I must do is defeat him, and my work is done, but something is not quite right. What did he do to get a favor from the Emperor himself? Why go through such a roundabout and money wasting way to get his slaves? And why does he seem to have several Lamia willing to serve him when he is the one enslaving us? I’ve gained a lot of answers, but there are more questions still. I fear this will not be as simple as it seems. I pray my letter finds mother well, and she is able to convince the islands of our unbelievable circumstance.
I’ve fallen in with an interesting bunch. If ever a group was tailor made for an entertaining story, this would be the one. Even if I had no personal interest in their plight, surely I would have stuck with them for a front-row seat to what will be a journey worthy of song! I’m still getting to know them, and half of the group is still a mystery to me, but I have oodles to say about three of them.
The first person I talked to was a girl named Thia. She is a master of impersonations, and it is perhaps because she lives her life as others that she is so very hard to get a read on. I consider myself a good judge of character. The cracking of one’s voice, the tempo of the heart, every little action fills the area around an individual with their own personal symphony. Blessed by rhythm, I am in tune with such things. Thia though, the air around her only lies silent. What do you suppose that means? All I know is that it fills me with unease. She hides her secrets behind a veil I am not apt to puncture. Outwardly she is quite affable, but this face sometimes cracks. I like to look for the good in people. I like to be trusting. Thia has done good by me, and so I will return the favor unless my trust is proven to be misplaced.
Perhaps the most prominent member of this group is Zack, the fox-eared master tactician! He is a friendly sort, and the two of us get along quite well. He doesn’t seem to mind that I can’t help but stare at his ears whenever we speak. Oh the things he must be able to hear with those! I see some of myself in him, or perhaps because he’s older I see some of him in myself. Not literally of course, that would be disgusting. I don’t know his history, but he seems quite the awkward one. I think we are both trying to prove to ourselves and our families that we are more than a bumbling child. Together we will prove that we are stronger than most! The others seem quite flighty, as if they are only fighting on a whim, and whims often change with the breeze. Zack though seems to be quite driven. I believe I can count on him to see this through. I’m with you ’till the end, Zack! At least until my end. Hard to say who I’ll be with after that eventual fiasco. Would you call death a fiasco? I suppose it depends on the circumstance. Maybe just a boondoggle.
Another interesting person I’ve met is the bug-man Coc’cyx. “Kahssickss.” Whenever I say his name I feel my accent slipping back. Please don’t cause me to undo years of hard work, Mr. Six! The bug race is amazing! Outside of casually displaying tremendous feats of athleticism, they have four arms! If only I had so many limbs, I could be a one girl band! Would it not be magnificent to combine Zack and Coc’cyx and get a six-limbed, large eared SUPER BEING? Being a god seems to be too much of a bother, but I can see the appeal of playing dollhouse with reality! Anyway, back on track. Sir Coc’cyx seems to be a very tough person, but he’s a bit abrasive. I think he just needs a good friend and a few hugs! Coc’cyx is also perhaps the best asset to our group in battle. He arrived in the nick of time during our fight with the general, and his appearance may very well be the reason I’m still alive and writing. Perhaps one day I’ll be able to repay the debt, but I think being indebted is preferable to my friends getting hurt, so instead I hope I never have to repay the debt and things go swimmingly from here on!
As best I can, I will continue to support these heroes. I believe it is within reality’s score that we can prevail. And it is on that rhythm that I will place my bet, for the songs around me are the only truths I need. The rustling of leaves in the wind, the footsteps of men, and the very beating of our hearts. All is part of reality’s grand symphony, and I’m the keen-eared listener really absorbing the sounds. You see the very secrets of the universe are buzzing around us, pelting our very souls like an aria in a rainstorm. One just needs to listen!
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